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Inspired by the experiences Ruetz' brother, Peter Ruetz, UCC Greater Vancouver, and cousins, Donna and Bill Shock, currently UCC Greater Victoria, had owning UCC TotalHome?® franchises, the men contacted the UCC Corporate Support Center and requested information on franchise ownership.
After reviewing the information and getting the inside details on the work from their family members in the business, they realized they had found the career they were looking for.
"Conceptually, we liked what it was all about," Ruetz says. "After we got to know some senior corporate people, we had confidence that there is an integrity and professionalism at UCC that we liked and were attracted to." "Our only regret is that we didn't find UCC earlier," Budd says.
They opened their franchise, UCC TotalHome?® Waterloo, Canada, in September 1998. And in the years they have been in business, the Waterloo franchise maintains a solid position in the top five most productive UCC franchises each month, the owners have won awards and qualified for Pacesetters getaways, and their employees have also won trips and awards for outstanding service and productivity.
"The trips are an unbelievable motivation for our staff," Budd says. "They enjoy it because they're on the trips with similar performers, they exchange ideas and have respect for one another because they know what it takes to qualify."
"Every conference I've attended has always been top-drawer. Corporate does everything first class, and appreciates the effort of the franchises. It's a nice opportunity to sit down and have open discussions with those directing the corporation as well as other franchises," he adds.
While both men traveled extensively in their previous jobs, the travel with UCC TotalHome?® is different, Ruetz says. It's relaxing and comfortable, instead of the stressful, high-pressure business trips they used to take. In the last two years, Budd says he has traveled to four places through UCC that he had never been, despite the extensive travel required by his previous career.
The men say another benefit of franchise ownership is the consistent backing they get from the Corporate Support Center whenever they need it. "We applauded them and continue to applaud them on the high level of training that they offer," Ruetz says. "They do an excellent job of promoting incentives for our staff, and an excellent job of building an active participation among our directors."
According to Budd, running a successful UCC franchise requires several key ingredients: a good partnership; confidence that the franchiser is going to support you and valuable feedback from fellow franchisees.
"Our business is quite unique. There's nothing you can pattern yourself after, nor would you want to," Budd says. "So you need to have an exchange with the other franchisees that have gone through the same questions and issues."
Also, Budd and Ruetz say, it is important to believe in and stick to the time-tested UCC TotalHome?® sales and marketing system.
"We have a great product, a great service unequaled in many businesses I've seen. If you have that to start with, all that's necessary is to do what's already known to work," Ruetz says.
"Believe in the system, develop the discipline to commit yourself to it, because it works."
Above all, the men say, potential franchisees should be sure to thoroughly investigate the company and all involved in running the franchise before diving in.
"Make sure you conduct your due diligence investigating the opportunity. Don't gloss over it. The more questions you ask, the more people you contact, the clearer the picture becomes," Budd says.
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Revision r1.1 - 27 May 2006 - 05:37 by EliMantel
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